Stuart Pearce worked hard to improve things at youth-team level whilst at the City Ground and Freedman thanked his predecessor for the work that he put in earlier today.

“I’ve got to thank Stuart for the work he’s done with the academy," he said.

“I’m very fond of academies, I was the same at Crystal Palace and Bolton. The good work Stuart has done, bringing people together, is certainly something I believe in and will look to take on."

The likes of Ben Osborn and Jorge Grant were both brought through into Forest's first-team set-up by Pearce and there are a number of other players threatening to make the grade.

The Reds' youth team has been one of their major positives this campaign, with their Under-21s joint top of their league and with the Under-18s still competing in the latter stages of the FA Youth Cup.

There is now excitement about how this generation of academy prospects will develop at the club and Forest fans will be hoping to see them in their first-team soon.

The up-and-coming stars will also take heart from the fact that there is a clear route to success at the City Ground.

Karl Darlow and Jamaal Lascelles have both made the step up from academy prospects to first-team regulars at the club and gone on to get moves to the Premier League recently and others will be hoping to follow in their footsteps.

John Verrall

John is a sports journalism graduate from Staffordshire University. He is a huge football fan and a minute-by-minute writer for UEFA.com, as well as being a freelance writer for Sports New Media. John has also seen his work been published by the likes of The Guardian, World Soccer and Shoot Magazine over the course of his bourgeoning journalism career so far. He has a particular expertise in all things to do with the Football League – and is a passionate Peterborough United fan.